THEGAYUK

Tag: MPs

All the latest breaking news on MPs. Browse THEGAYUK’s complete collection of news, articles and commentary on MPs.

  • Where do Tory PM potentials stand on LGBT rights?

    Where do Tory PM potentials stand on LGBT rights?

    With David Cameron going and a new Conservative leadership campaign triggered we check to see what each candidate’s LGBT credentials are.

    David Cameron, who made LGBT equality one of the cornerstones of his administration has announced his resignation after the UK voted to leave the EU. A Tory leadership battle is now underway. We look at the possible candidates and their views and voting records on LGBT+ equality

    How we calculated our results.
    Using TheyWorkForYou.com we were able to define MPs’ voting records on equality issues. We made conclusions on an MP’s voting record – we counted Absent votes as a negative.

    The likelihood on responsiveness was a mix between a 2015 survey on how MPs responded to their own constituents’ emails and their voting record on LGBT matters.

    This list will be updated as new candidate come forward or denounce their candidacy.

    PERFECT: Voted to give equality each time

    GOOD: Voted to give equality most of the time

    MIXED: Voted equally for and against equality

    POOR: Generally voted against equality

    TERRIBLE: Always voted against – or abstained.

    REFORMED: Used to vote against, now has good record.

    STEPHEN CRABB | LIAM FOX | MICHAEL GOVE | JEREMY HUNT (not running) | SAJID JAVID (joint ticket) | BORIS JOHNSON | ANDREA LEADSON | THERESA MAY | NICKY MORGAN (not running) | PRITI PATEL (not running)

  • Baroness Verma: “It’s great to hear us talk about ending AIDS but the job is far from over.”

    Lords And MPs met today to discuss ending AIDS by 2030 and having an AIDS free generation within 15 years.

    Parliament hosted a roundtable meeting today (World AIDS Day), bringing together a host of Lords MPs and speakers to talk about how to bring about an AIDS free generation by 2030. The talk was hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Group On Global Health and HIV/AIDS charity StopAIDS.
    Speaking at the event were MPs Diane Abbott and Chris Freer along with Baroness Masham, Baroness Liz Barker, Baroness Verma and Lord Cashman.

    A packed room heard from three speakers, Alexa, Cristian and Chan Chan who talked about their personal journey with HIV.

    Diane Abbott saluted the bravery of LGBT activists in Uganda, singling out the tremendous work achieved by Icebreakers, a support community in Uganda, for their efforts in the country, where politicians are fiercely homophobic and where HIV/AIDS medication is hard for LGBTs to gain access to.

    Lord Cashman also put forward questions on how to curve the ever-growing numbers of gay and bisexual men who were being diagnosed with HIV in the UK.

    Recent statistics revealed that new infections in gay and bisexual men have risen again – and that record numbers of men who have sex with men are unaware of their statuses.

    Baroness Verma said that she was proud that the UK was “significantly funding the Global fund”, for HIV/AIDS awareness and health campaigns, and added that we will continue to “champion key populations”, but was keen to stress that there was a “long way to go”.
    Addressing the room she said, “It’s great to hear us talk about ending AIDS but the job is far from over.”

  • Former MP Who Voted “Consistently” Against Pro-LGBT Laws Dies, Aged 83

    Ex-Tory MP, Teresa Gorman, who voted against major pro-LGBT laws between 1998 and 2000 has died at the age of 83.

    (more…)

  • Gay marriage wrecking amendments fail

    Wrecking Amendments fail in marathon parliamentary debate on Gay Marriage.

    MPs in the House of Commons rejected an amendment tabled by those opposed to marriage equality, which would have prolonged further voting on the forthcoming bill to legalise same-sex marriage in the UK

    The amendment tabled by former families minister Tim Lougton MP, would have extended the option of civil partnerships to straight couples, which many supporters of same-sex marriage fear would delay or scupper the same-sex marriage bill altogether.

    The amendment was rejected by 375 votes to 70.

    Ben Summerskill from Stonewalls wrote in a statement,

    ‘The amendment, tabled by vocal opponents of equality, would have resulted in significant delays to the Bill’s implementation. Tonight’s (20th May) success means that the Bill has survived all of the attempts made thus far to undermine it.

    ‘Tomorrow (2st May) the Bill will have its Third Reading in the Commons before it heads to the House of Lords where, as always, we expect a very tough fight.”

    Equal Marriage and #AggressiveHomosexuals began trending on Twitter last night during the parliamentary debate after Sir Gerald Howarth MP, stated that,

    ‘…I fear the playing field is not being levelled I believe the pendulum is swinging so far the other way, and there are plenty in the aggressive homosexual community who see this as but a stepping stone to something even further…’

    Sir Gerald did not elaborate on what further steps would be.

  • Who Are The MPs Against Equality?

    It’s pretty scary reading when you look at the list of supporters for homophobic and discriminatory marriage petition from the Coalition for Marriage (C4M).

    Even more shocking when you discover that topping the list is a number of public paid positions such as MPs and those more revered in society like Earls and Lords. Yes, those icons of political society, we as enabled voters have chosen to represent us.

    As news surfaces of some rather contentious campaigning policies (as reported by Pinknews and The Guardian & here) which include obtaining the signatures of students as young as 11 to sign this anti-equality petition, questionable “grassroots” beginnings and unaccountable spikes in signature numbers, we’re left asking what right-minded, forward-thinking, representative of people in the UK, in 2012, still want their name attached to the campaign.

    World leaders, including Barrack Obama and David Cameron, have had their views ‘evolved’ on the issue of marriage equality. Now is the time for our community to step up and be heard. The coalition for marriage’s stance is:

    “I support the legal definition of marriage which is the voluntary union for life of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others. I oppose any attempt to redefine it.”

    This is a purely legal issue, not a religious debate. Therefore those who are signed up below are actively working against legal equality for the LGBT community in the UK.

    Below we’ve listed those MPs who have signed the petition and linked to their personal or parliamentary pages so you can send them an email or phone them with your concerns and ask that they consider removing their name from a rather embarrassing homophobic and discriminatory lobby.

    We’re also starting a twitter campaign #MPsAgainstEquality Please forward this articles on Facebook and Twitter, using that Hashtag. Those people who are actively seeking to discriminate against the LGBT community should be named and shamed.

    The list below was found at http://c4m.org.uk/

    Baroness O’Cathain OBE, Conservative 020 7219 0662

    Fiona Bruce MP, Conservative 020 7219 0742 MP for Congleton

    David Burrowes MP, Conservative 020 7219 8144 MP for Enfield Southgate

    Jim Dobbin MP, Labour 020 7219 4530 MP for Heywood and Middleton

    Joe Benton MP, Labour 020 7219 6973 MP for Bootle

    Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe

    Edward Leigh MP, Conservative 020 7219 6480 MP for Gainsbourgh

    Lord Curry of Kirkharle, Crossbench

    David Nuttall MP, Conservative 020 7219 7030 MP for Bury North

    Stewart Jackson MP, Conservative 020 7219 8286 MP for Peterbourgh

    Bob Blackman MP, Conservative 020 219 7082 MP for Harrow East

    Nigel Dodds MP, DUP 0207 219 8419 MP for Belfast North

    Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldson MP, DUP 0207 219 3407 MP for Lagan Valley

    Sammy Wilson MP MLA, DUP 020 7219 8523 MP for East Antrim

    David Simpson MP, DUP 020 7219 8533 MP for Upper Barn

    Jim Shannon MP, DUP 020 7219 7160 MP for Strangford

    Ian Paisley MP, DUP 020 7219 7716 MP for North Antrim

    Sir Roger Gale MP, Conservative 020 7219 4087 MP for North Thanet

    Julian Brazier TD MP, Conservative 020 7219 3000 MP for Canterbury

    Peter Bone MP and Mrs Jennie Bone, Conservative 020 7219 8496 MP for Wellingborough

    Jeremy Lefroy MP, Conservative 020 7219 7154 MP for Stafford

    Craig Whittaker MP, Conservative 020 7219 7031 MP for Calder Valley

    Richard Drax MP, Conservative 020 7219 7051 MP for South Dorset

    Robert Alexander Stewart MP, Conservative

    Lord Brennan QC, Labour 020 7219 5353

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon, Independent Labour Peer 020 7219 5402

    Lord Maginnis of Drumglass, UUP 020 7219 8189

    Lord Tombs, Crossbench

    Earl of Shrewsbury & Talbot, Conservative
    TheGayUK takes no responsibility for the use of external links. If at any point any of the above signatories decides to leave the petition we will amend this list accordingly.